AN: dun dun da dun, dun dun da dun. That's the wedding march, if you were wondering. Also, I hope I've decided I'm not writing my own vows because coming up with a "traditional Fire Nation" wedding script was really hard. Also, I edited and posted this in between flights so if it looks like a hatched job, that's why. I

Chapter Ten: The Wedding

For the first few moments when Zuko woke up, everything was normal. Then, he realized he was getting married. A panic set in. The sort of panic you get when you are hit with the feeling that you are supposed to be doing something important at that moment, but don't know what that important thing is.

He spent the majority of his morning trying to solve his panic. He wandered through the palace, where everyone was rushing around, preparing for the wedding. But whenever he asked someone what he needed to be doing they told him to relax and not worry about anything. Two things that Zuko was not good at.

He found himself in the kitchen. Having to cook for nearly 300 guests, the staff had increased tenfold. People rushed around him and he swiped a small cake off one of the many trays, no one would miss it. Besides, it was his wedding day after all.

It was dawning on him that he had absolutely no idea where the bride was. He hadn't seen Katara all morning, nor had anyone seemed to know where she was. So, he wandered around some more, looking in various rooms for his bride to be. He found Sokka standing in the center of the great ballroom, observing the workers around him moving everything into place.

"No no no! That needs to be to the RIGHT." He yelled at an unsuspecting vase carrier.

"Zuko! There he is! Come here buddy, I need your opinion." Over the course of the week Sokka had warmed to Zuko's presence. Mostly due to the events that followed a few nights ago, when all the water tribe's men decided to take the poor prince out to the docks, and they all got exuberantly drunk on every kind of alcohol. Zuko had apparently proved his worth that night, although he didn't exactly remember what he had done to do so.

"Now, that guy over there thinks that we should put the arches above you guys, but I told him that that doesn't match with the layout of the room at all. And that we need to put them on either side of the isle. What do you think?" Zuko was befuddled, he didn't even see any arches. He realized that he must be talking about the fabric drapings, which were being tied to either side of the room.

"Uhh, I think they look fine the way they are." Zuko shrugged.

"Of course, you do, everyone here has no vision!" Sokka slapped his forehead.

"Sokka, there you are." The Southern Water Tribe Chief entered the room, "Why don't you leave the decorating to the people whose job it is, I'm sure it will all look great once it's done." Sokka made a 'humph' sound, crossing his arms in defiance.

"I wanted to let you know that our sister tribe has arrived, and they might want a familiar face to give them a tour of the palace." Sokka's eyes softened.

"I, I have to go." He left the ballroom in a hurry.

"Chief Hakoda, do you know where I could find Katara?"

"She was in the kitchen last I saw her." Of course she was, I was just there, Zuko thought. But by the time he made it back to the kitchen she was nowhere to be found. He checked her room, and the bath house, he even checked his sister's room, but he couldn't find her. Accepting defeat, he went back to his room, figuring someone would come tell him when it was time for him to be somewhere. After all, they weren't going to let him miss his own wedding.

After hours of letting his nerves fester, Lu Ten finally came for him.

"You're not dressed? Guest are starting to arrive." Lu Ten scolded.

"Yeah well no one really ever told me the plan or anything so.." Zuko's voice trailed off.

"Well hurry up." Zuko changed into his wedding robes. It was a long red robe, with gold trim, which was similar to the Fire Lord's robes, but it was less structured and had a softer, less decorative top. Zuko took out his pony tail and retied it into a less messy top knot.

"Well?" Zuko asked, feeling slightly ridiculous in the elegant garment. Lu Ten pondered for a moment.

"You look like your dad did on his wedding." He finally said. Which didn't exactly comfort Zuko, but considering Lu Ten was only six when his parents were married, he didn't take his observation to heart.

Guests had begun to fill the ballroom, but few had been seated. And so, the ballroom was a mess of different people, exchanging in pleasantries and small talk. Among the many political figures and dignitaries, one in particular caught Zuko's eye. Azula had assured him that there was no way she was coming to the wedding. But it would be just like Azula to lie about something like that. He made his way over without thinking.

"Zuko! Look who came all the way from Omashu for your wedding." Azula beamed. Zuko sputtered, looking around frantically.

"Ukano, I'm honored that you made the journey here." Zuko bowed to Mai's father.

"Well as a longtime friend of your family's it would be disrespectful not to." It was clear he was still upset about his abrupt transfer out of the country, as well as the sudden end to his daughter's betrothal to Zuko.

"Of course." Zuko wasn't sure what to say, all he wanted to know was did he come alone?

"Michi sends her regrets, but with the new baby it would be unwise for her to travel." If Zuko remembered correctly, Tom Tom was nearly four years old, not exactly a new baby.

"That's too bad, I would have loved to see Mai again, us girls never can seem to get together in one place." Azula smiled, as if she was innocent.

"Yes, well Mai thought it best that she stay home to help her mother. She did however request that I deliver this to you Prince Zuko." Of course Mai wasn't here, Zuko realized. Did he really think she would come to his wedding? Did he really want her to? He wasn't sure he could even go through with it, knowing that she was watching from the audience. Ukano handed Zuko a small scroll, tied with the same red ribbon that Mai had always used.

"Thank you Ukano. If you two will excuse me, I have preparations to attend to." Zuko exited the hall as fast as he could. When he was out of his guest's view he leaned back against the wall and opened Mai's letter.

Zuko,

I probably shouldn't be writing this. I said I wouldn't write you again. But I kept thinking about that poor Water Tribe girl and how she's going to have to spend the rest of her life with your sulking, bad attitude.

Look, I'm not happy about the way things ended between us. In fact, it makes me sick to even think about it. But I'm not about to let you spend the rest of your life being miserable. So, I need you to do something for me. I need you to be happy with her. It'll give me some piece of mind knowing that you are. Because it makes me miserable to think that you're as miserable as I am. And the world doesn't need that much misery, it already has enough on it's own.

Anyway, enjoy your wedding. I hope there's a big cake.

Mai.

Zuko read the letter a second time, and then a third. He wasn't sure what to make of it. If he didn't know any better he would say that this was Mai's way of giving him her blessing. As if that made anything better.

He had tried so hard not to think of Mai today. But he had. In fact, he had been thinking about her all week. Every time he saw people preparing for the wedding he couldn't help but think about how this could have been their wedding. How a year ago he thought this would be their wedding. It made him so angry because for once, he thought he was going to get what he wanted. But of course, life never gave him what he wanted. The worst part was that every time he thought about Mai, thought about her sarcastically insulting the flowers and extravagancy of it all, even though he knew that secretly she loved it all, it made him feel incredibly guilty. Guilty because he had already made a decision. He had told Katara that he wanted to marry her. He didn't lie. But he knew that if given the choice he would pick Mai in a heartbeat.

"Zuko, what are you doing out here all alone?" His mother peeked out from around the corner.

"I was just- nothing, it's not important. When is the ceremony going to start?"

"Soon, we're just waiting on Katara. Oh Zuko she looks so beautiful." His mother gushed.

"I'm sure she does." She always did.

"Zuko, darling are you doing alright?" He wasn't. He was terrified. Terrified that he'd never be able to let her go. He didn't know how he could ever be a good husband to Katara if he couldn't get over Mai.

"Mom, before you married father, had you ever been in love before?" Ursa smiled softly.

"Yes, I was." Ursa had vowed never to tell her children the story of her life before coming to the royal palace. But she could see her how lost her son looked.

"How did you stop?"

"I didn't." She could see Zuko's eyes fill with worry. "But in time, new love comes in, whether it be the love of our spouses, or the love we have for our children. It comes in and grows over the old. The spot you hold in your heart for Mai won't keep you from loving Katara. You can love them both." Zuko felt skeptical of his mother's words. After all, from what he had seen between his mother and father, there was little love between the two of them. But, of course, Zuko wasn't his father.

"I feel like I'm cheating her. She deserves someone who can love her with their whole heart."

"You're right, she does. And I have every faith that in time, you will. But today is not about your love for her. Today is about uniting our people, you can worry about love another day." Zuko realized that above all else, Ursa believed in duty. Maybe because she was given no choice but to believe in it.

"Now, are you ready? We're about to begin." Zuko nodded and followed his mother into the ballroom. Everyone was seated, but him, he walked to the altar with his mother. He tried to calm his heartbeat, his blood was pumping so hard he thought it might burst out of his skin.

For a moment, he was completely alone. Despite all the people who had come from near and far to see him married, he was utterly alone in the dead quiet room.

But then he saw Katara. His heartbeat calmed and his palms stopped sweating. His mother had been right. She looked so beautiful. Of course, she always did, even when they were sparing and she was matted with dirt and sweat, he never failed to notice how beautiful she was.

He had expected her to be wearing red and white. He had expected her to be stuffed into a traditional Fire Nation wedding gown.

But her dress was blue.

He had been worried that his mother would have decorated her up like a Fire Nation bride. Hidden her beneath a layer of makeup and fabric and ornaments. But she looked like herself.

He held out his hand and she took it, stepping onto the altar with him.

"Hey stranger, fancy meeting you here." She smiled at him. Her blue eyes shining bright as ever.

"I've been looking everywhere for you." He whispered.

"Nervous?" She asked.

"Not anymore." Zuko turned toward the Fire Sage, who began the ceremony.

"We have come together today to witness the marriage of Prince Zuko, son of Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa, Grandson of Fire Lord Azulon and Fire Lady Ilah, now passed, to Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, daughter of Chief Hakoda and Kya, now passed. The union of these two souls also marks the union of our two great nations as one family. Prince Zuko, do you come here today freely and without reservation to enter into this union of marriage?" As free as he could be for someone in an arranged marriage.

"I do." He could hardly hear his own voice over the sound of his heartbeat pounding.

"Do you vow to devote yourself completely, mind, body, and soul, to your bride? From this day and forever more?" He would, or he would die trying. Katara's voice echoed his own. Zuko felt as if the whole world was floating away around him, and Katara's voice was the only thing grounding him, and keeping him from floating away too.

"If you believe in the vows you have made, speak the words and swear them to be true." There was nothing he could say, nothing that would happen on this altar, that would make him a good husband. Nothing he said would assure that she would happy or safe with him. But he would do everything he could to will his words into reality.

"I swear to all the spirits that I will keep these vows sacred, that I will love, protect, and honor you as my wife, from this day to the end of my days." He squeezed her hands tight, afraid that if he let go he might collapse.

"In the name of Fire Lord Azulon, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Katara had been woken up at the crack of dawn that morning. Two handmaidens had rushed into her room, gushing that there was 'so much to do' before the wedding. Apparently, in the Fire Nation, they did not value the power of beauty sleep. They dragged her from her room and to the bath house, despite her protest that she could just use her private washroom. They had even tried to wash her but she had insisted on doing it herself. She watched in satisfaction as the handmaids stood shocked as she bent the water off when they offered her a towel.

"Oh good, you're already started. We've got a lot to do today so it's important we don't fall behind schedule." Azula found Katara as she was leaving the bath house. Apparently, Ursa had put Azula in charge of making sure Katara was ready for the wedding.

"In case you haven't been told, today is all about the details, and as it is your wedding, it is also all about you. So, we're not leaving anything out. I've set up a spa for us in my room, we'll start there. After all, we want you to be relaxed." Katara was surprised, she hadn't expected Azula to be this excited for her wedding, or, she might just be excited that she gets to be in charge, Katara thought.

Katara had to admit, the spa treatment was relaxing. And since she had been training so rigorously with Aang she was starting to build impressive callouses on her hands and feet that could use tending to.

"Well it looks like they've been giving you the royal treatment." Katara's eyes snapped open at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Yue! You're here!" Katara nearly jumped out of her seat to hug her friend.

"It's good to see you too sister." Yue laughed.

"Sister? Katara I didn't know you had a sister." Azula said, making no effort to move from her spa treatment.

"Azula this is Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe. I lived with Yue and her father when I moved to the North Pole."

"Ah I see, pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Princess Azula." Yue could see when Katara got her skepticism of future sister-in-law. Something about Azula was off, as if she was overly calculated.

"Do you want to join us?" Katara asked, but before Yue could give her answer, Azula had already ordered her servants to bring in another chair.

"That's alright, I was just stopping in, your brother's waiting for me."

"Yeah, I suppose you'd want to spend time with him." Katara's voice was accusing, she had always tried to get Yue to accept her feelings for Sokka, but despite acknowledging that she had them, she was adamant on resisting them.

"Katara you know it's not like that, he's just giving me a tour."

"Uh-huh, sure Yue, just keep telling yourself that." Yue rolled her eyes.

"You Southerners are always trying to make things more than they are." Yue said, lighthearted but not untrue.

"You're right. Go, go on, leave me for my brother on my wedding day." Katara sighed, feigning disappointment.

"I do have something for you, a gift from Yugoda." Yue reached behind her and pulled a long string off from around her neck. At the end of the string was a small pendant.

"It's full of spirit water, Yugoda said she was sorry she couldn't deliver it to you herself, but she wanted you to have some, just in case." Katara had seen spirit water before, but never in use. She knew that it had been used to bring Yue back to life as a baby though. And she knew that it could increase a healer's powers beyond the realm of life and death.

"I hope you never have to use it." Yue gave a lingering look at the Fire Nation Princess, before turning to leave.

"I'll see you at wedding."

Katara hadn't worn this much makeup since she had first arrived in the Fire Nation. Her eyelids had been painted black and gold and her lips a deep red. On top of that, she had been caked in several layers of white powder to "keep everything in place." Once on her skin, the powder disappeared, but she could feel it seeping into her skin.

She had watched in horror as one of her handmaids took a metal rod, used her bending to turn it a glowing amber, and then wrapped a strand of Katara's hair around it. Katara winced, expecting to see an ash pile of her hair fall to the ground, but instead, the strand fell into a delicate spiral shape. The same principle was applied to the rest of Katara's hair, until her head was covered in a mass of perfectly tousled curls. The hair around the crown of her head was then finely braided up on each side of her part, leading to two large braids that were twisted together with red ribbons that cascaded down her back.

It had taken Katara a long time to decide what kind of wedding dress she wanted. Every time she thought she had come to a decision, Ursa would make her reconsider the other option. On one hand, going with traditional Fire Nation marriage robes would be simplest, and the most fitting with the rest of the wedding. And it would symbolize Katara's commitment to the Fire Nation and its traditions, a show that she had abandoned her identity as part of the Water Tribe. But on the other hand, she hadn't abandoned her connection with the Water Tribe. As a bender and royalty, she was bound to the Water Tribes, and her marriage was a symbol of the Water Tribe coming together with the Fire Nation. It seemed only fitting that she symbolizes her heritage, besides, it would be nice to have one thing that felt like her choosing at her own wedding.

Eventually, Katara decided she wanted a dress representative of her culture. She had meant, to have one brought with Yue from the North, but Ursa insisted on having one custom made for her. And so Katara spent many of her lessons with Ursa also standing around while the tailor fitted her for what Katara could only guess was an exuberantly expensive dress.

The deepest layer of the dress was made from indigo dyed silk. The top Kimono was a pale blue Satin, embroidered with silver thread that grew heaviest toward the bottom of the skirt. An ivory trim lined the sleeves and collar and a deep purple velvet sash tied the dress together. Between the imported fabric and hand crafted embroidery that lined every inch of the dress, Katara guessed the dress was worth more money than she had ever seen in her entire life.

"Feeling nervous?" Azula asked, Katara hadn't realized how long she had been staring in the mirror.

"Yeah."

"I would be too, knowing I'd have to spend the rest of my life chained to my nitwit of a brother." Azula was comforting as always. In truth, Katara was missing her mother. She had never been the type of girl to sit around dreaming about her wedding, but when she did, it had always included her mother. In a world where she was still alive, now would be the time that Kya would come in hug Katara. She would tell her how beautiful she was, and reassure Katara of her decision. She would tell her that everything was going to be okay, and that she was loved.

"Well, at least you have a higher tolerance for him than I do. So, let's go get this over with. I hear there's a going to be a great party afterwards."

But her mother wasn't here, instead she had Azula, and that wasn't quite the same thing.

Azula and Katara headed to the ballroom, where Katara's father was waiting for them. Azula wished Katara a somewhat sincere "good luck" and disappeared behind the double doors.

"Wow dad, you look so handsome." Hakoda's suit looked like it had come from the Northern Tribe, it was too high fashion and high quality to be from the South.

"Well I thought, since we're in the Fire Nation, I might as well try to fit in, put the pelts and fur away." Katara remembered a tradition in the South, where the bride was married with a large fur pelt covering her, usually one that her husband had procured himself, with the assumption that the two would lay the pelt down in their tent that night and then consummate on top of it. Katara was glad that wasn't a tradition she was partaking in.

"Your mother would be so proud of you Katara." Katara realized that there were tears forming in her father's eyes.

"Dad don't cry!"

"It's my job to cry on your wedding day." He chuckled. The door to the ballroom cracked open, warning them that it was almost time.

"Ready?" Hakoda asked her. Katara took a deep inhale.

"I'm Ready." The door swung open and Katara willed herself to step forward.

The room glowed from hundreds of glowing lanterns that hung from the ceiling. Katara tried to keep her eyes forward, not to be distracted by the rows of strangers who were all staring at her. She found Zuko standing at the other end of the red velvet carpet. She kept her eyes on him, fixated and keeping her from wobbling over or tripping on her own dress.

Eventually, she reached the end of the path and felt her father's arm leave hers. She felt frozen in time and space, standing mere inches from the altar, time seemed to slow to a halt, as did her heart. The whole world faded away and all she could think was this is it. Zuko's hand reached out for her's, the moment she took it, she felt time come crashing back to her. She tried to steady her breath, Zuko himself looked like he hadn't taken a breath in a while.

"Hey stranger, fancy meeting you here." The look of panic evaporated from his face.

"I've been looking everywhere for you." He said in an aggressive but hushed voice, if she didn't know better, she'd think he was actually annoyed. In truth, he looked scared out of his mind. But in all fairness, so was she.

The Fire Sage began to speak. He mentioned them both by their full titles, which Katara thought was silly and overly formal, but that seemed to be something the royal family liked. She thought it was a bit of mockery, asking them if they had come here of their own free will. As if their marriage hadn't been a political arrangement. But, she knew at the end of it all, this was her choice to make. And so, when the Fire Sage asked, she found herself saying "I do."

She answered the same to every question he asked her. As he went down the line of vows she felt the weight of her words becoming heavier and heavier.

"Do you vow to care for this man, ill or well, happy or sorrow, from this day and forevermore?"

And she said, "I do."

"Do you vow to love and cherish this man as your husband, from this day and forevermore?"

And she said, "I do."

Three months ago, he was a stranger to her, a concept of a person she had been ordered to love. Two months ago, he had been no better than an enemy, a man she dreaded the future with. But her future didn't scare her anymore. She saw him and she could smile, because he made her smile. Her future didn't seem lonely and loveless anymore.

"If you believe in the vows you have made, speak the words and swear them to be true." She wanted to love him. She wished they could have waited until she really did love him to swear their allegiance to the world. But the day would come, when she would love them. So she would give herself to him now, for the hope of that day.

"I swear to all the spirits that I will keep these vows sacred, that I will love, protect, and honor you as my husband, from this day to the end of my days."

And it was done. In the name of the Fire Lord. She was his. And he was hers.

Forever.

AN: I should quit now. Tell you they lived happily ever after and call it day. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen just yet. First, some shady shits gotta go down.